Manufacture of alloys of the alkali metals.



m-TED STATES GEORGE-FRANCOIS JAUBERT, 'OFIPARI'S, FRANCE.

MA F CTUR QF-ALjL-OYS OF THE ALKALI METALS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,489, dated September 23, 1902.

Application filed February 23,1901.

To all whojn itmay concern:

Beit known th'atI, GEORGE FRANQOIS J AU- BERT, a citizen, of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Alloys of the Alkaline Metals, of which the following 'isa specification.

Ihave found that if under certain oonditions potassium is c'ausedto react upon caustic sodaor sodium upon caustic potash liquid alloys of potassium and sodium are obtained tic sodaandtwelve parts of metallic potas-' containing about eighty per cent. of pots-s sium.

Example I: Four parts of well-dried caus 'sium are-melted in a suitable crucible, which is heated on an oil-bath whichv is provided with-means for forming a vacuum. At betweenabout 200, to 250 Centigrade a mod- -eratelybrisk reaction isfobservedj .The temperature is further raised to about 300 centigrade and'themixture then allowed to cool. There isq-founda't the bottom of the vessel a layerof'caustic alkali and above it a liquid residue, which is decantedand preserved under petroleum. Analysis shows that this residue contains about seventy seven per cent. of potassium and twenty-th ree per con t. of sodium and corresponds pretty exactly to the formula NaK,.

Examplelli Amixture of eight parts of caus- -tic potash and five parts of sodiu1n is heated potassium-and thirty-seven per cent. of sodium,,

Tue alloys obtained'in Examples I and II muias used.

Again,

Serial No. 19,415. I No specimens.)

are liquid at the ordinary temperature and. resemble. mercury. They are much lighterthan water and float upon heavy petroleum.

They are eminently osidizable andev'en in the cold becomecovered with a black coating of oxid. They react in many cases in. which sodium isinert.

The proportions of sodiumand ofpotassium may vary in the alloyaccording to the for- Thus Having thus described the nature and 013- 4 ject of my in vention', What I claim as new, and

desire to. secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. The method of manufacturing alloys of the alkali metals, such as potassium and sodium, which consists in mixing-oneof the metals with a caustic oxid of the other metal, then heating the mix ure in vacuo at a temperature of from 200. to 300 centigrade,.and

in then allowing theresidue to cool, substan tially-as andfor thepurpbses described.

2. The method of'manufacturing an alloy of the alkali metals, which consists in mixing potassium with caustic soda in required pro portions, then heating the mixture in substantial cacao at atemperature'of from 200 to 300 centigrade, and. in 'finally coolingthe residue, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimon'ywhereof [have signed" this specification in the presence of two subscrilo .C. on YMESTRAL, EDWARD, P. MAOLEAN. I 

